The Public Service Association (PSA) has given the minister of social development seven days to respond to its demands.

On Thursday‚ Sassa staff members affiliated to the PSA delivered a memorandum of grievances to the agency’s chief executive.

The PSA said the memorandum came after Sassa refused for months to engage with union representatives on wage negotiations for Sassa employees and then only offered to comply with the agreement signed at the bargaining council for public servants.

Among the list of their demands‚ the employees want a 15% salary increase‚ the current housing allowance to be increased to R2 500 and the payment of the housing allowance to both spouses who are employees of Sassa.

The workers also demand that Sassa offices be closed for the period Christmas and New Year and that a minimum of three days special leave be granted for religious activities other than Christians.

“The PSA expects that these demands will be favourably considered by the minister and that the PSA will receive a prompt response to its demands within seven days of receipt of this memorandum in order to avoid any further or increased action and mobilisation from the PSA‚” said the association’s general manager Ivan Fredericks.